Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA US Open match.
A new name arrives on the Grand Slam stage: 16-year-old Julieta Pareja, who will make her main-draw debut against one of the tour’s most consistent performers, Elena Rybakina.
Elena Rybakina
The Kazakh star continues to deliver top-level tennis. She has already won 41 matches this season — almost matching her entire total from last year (44) — and reached the semi-finals at both the WTA 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati. Her victories included a commanding win over world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka (6:1, 6:4). On current form, Rybakina looks almost unstoppable.
Julieta Pareja
Pareja, an American of Colombian descent, is one of the brightest young prospects in women’s tennis. She just captured the junior Wimbledon title and climbed to world No.1 in the girls’ rankings, having started the year outside the top 90. Flushing Meadows will be her first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw. Last year she reached the third round of US Open qualifying but fell short of the main event.
Elena Rybakina vs Julieta Pareja Prediction
Despite her talent, the step up in level is enormous. Holding even half of her service games against Rybakina will be a major challenge. Expect a straightforward victory for the Kazakh.
